Latest On Broncos, Johnny Manziel
The Broncos have spoken with Johnny Manziel about his potential fit with the team, according to ESPN’s Jeff Legwold (Twitter link). However, the Broncos have no plans to sign Johnny Manziel and signing him has not been discussed, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS (on Twitter). Even though head coach Gary Kubiak reached out to Manziel’s camp about a month ago, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter) also hears that team has no intention of signing him. 
[RELATED: Latest On Broncos, Colin Kaepernick]
Kubiak and Manziel are both former Texas A&M quarterbacks and have a relationship stemming from that commonality, Klis notes (on Twitter). The Broncos head coach reached out to Manziel sometime after his release from the Browns, but it doesn’t sound like there were substantive conversations after that point.
The Broncos, of course, are searching for a quarterback after Peyton Manning announced his retirement and Brock Osweiler signed with the Texans on a four-year, $72MM deal. In March, Denver acquired Mark Sanchez from the Eagles, though he could be relegated to No. 2 on the depth chart if the team finds a better alternative at QB. The Broncos have discussed acquiring Colin Kaepernick from the 49ers, but Kaepernick is not interested in taking the kind of pay cut that Denver is pushing.
Earlier this year, Manziel was dropped by both the team that drafted him and his agent. In March, the controversial signal caller signed on with polarizing agent Drew Rosenhaus. Days later, Rosenhaus claimed that there were teams interested in his new client. That assertion was (understandably) met with some eye rolls from around football, but it appears that the defending champs at least kicked the tires on the former first-round pick.
The 23-year-old made eight starts and played in 15 total games for Cleveland, completing 57% of his passes (147 of 258) for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions. His overall passer rating was 74.4.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
South Rumors: Titans, Ramsey, Jack
The Titans will meet with Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey on Monday, as John Glennon of The Tennessean writes. Ramsey, who can play both corner and safety, is widely considered to be one of the top talents in this year’s class and the Titans are giving real thought to taking him first overall. The Titans’ secondary could certainly use the help after a rough showing last season.
Here’s more from the AFC and NFC South:
- Atlanta native Myles Jack is visiting with the Falcons today, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Jack’s former defensive coordinator at UCLA, Jeff Ulbrich, is now the Falcons’ linebackers coach. The Falcons currently own the No. 17 overall pick in the 2016 draft.
- Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson is on a pre-draft visit with the Panthers today, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Carolina worked out Lawson and two other Clemson defenders roughly two weeks ago and the DE was said to have had a “fantastic” workout. Carolina has the No. 30 overall pick, so they may have to trade up if they want to land Lawson.
- Notre Dame running back C.J. Prosise visited the Texans, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- UCLA offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch will visit the Texans for their local prospect day, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib had a pre-draft visit with the Buccaneers on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Nassib was the Big 10 defensive player of the year in 2015.
Draft Rumors: Robinson, Panthers, Jets
Alabama defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson will visit the Lions, Panthers, and Jets in the coming days, Eddie Borsilli of SiriusXM tweets. Robinson, who likely projects as a defensive tackle for a team running a 4-3 scheme or a defensive end for a 3-4 defense, is considered one of the top defensive linemen available this spring. A Consensus All-American in his junior year, Robinson recorded 46 tackles (7.5 for a loss) to go along with his 3.5 sacks. After helping his team win a National Championship this past season, Robinson seems poised to enter the league as a first-round draft pick.
The latest draft rumors:
- Multiple teams have taken Bowling Green wide receiver Roger Lewis and Arizona wide receiver Cayleb Jones off their boards due to off-field issues, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets.
- UCLA offensive lineman Caleb Benenoch is set to visit the Titans and Texans, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The athletic offensive lineman is widely viewed as a second-round prospect.
- Stanford tight end Austin Hooper visited the Titans and Bears earlier this week, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. The 6’4″, 254-pound athlete is a likely top-50 pick, Getlin adds.
- So far, Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds has had workouts with the Ravens, Patriots, and Titans, according to freelance reporter Jenna Laine (via Twitter).
- Ohio State safety Vonn Bell has (or has had) meetings, workouts and/or visits with the Falcons, Steelers, and Titans, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
- Houston corner William Jackson III visited the Ravens last week and will meet with the Raiders on Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Norfolk State linebacker Deon King has worked out privately for the Broncos, Raiders, 49ers, Colts, and Washington and will visit with the Cowboys, according to Wilson. King finished his collegiate career with 372 tackles, 52.5 tackles for losses, 22 sacks, five fumble recoveries, four forced fumbles and three interceptions. King was an All-American selection and a three-time all-conference selection.
Baldwin, Seahawks Haven’t Talked Contract
Doug Baldwin is entering his contract year but he has yet to sit down with the Seahawks and discuss a new pact, the wide receiver told Mitch Levy and Mike Holmgren of 950 KJR (audio link, transcription via PFT). 
“No we haven’t had any talks,” Baldwin said. “And to be completely honest with you I’m not too concerned with it. I’m enjoying my time right now with my training and my fiancée. I’m anxious to get back out there with my teammates. To be completely honest with you, I’m not really worried about it. I’m having fun playing football. I’m enjoying my time, I’m enjoying my life right now. So whatever happens, I’m going to leave it up to God and he’ll direct me in whatever direction I need to go.”
Baldwin‘s $2.8MM salary for 2016 is guaranteed, but his future beyond this upcoming season is uncertain. The two sides were able to get on the same page in May of 2014 when Baldwin inked a lucrative two-year extension giving him $11MM in “new money” plus achievable bonuses. The veteran reportedly turned down a four-year offer from the Seahawks that would have kept him under contract through the 2018 season.
Baldwin, 28 in September, tied for the league lead in touchdowns last season with 14. In 16 regular season games (all starts), Baldwin caught 78 passes (103 targets) for 1,069 yards – all of which were career highs.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
NFC East Rumors: Cowboys, Bosa, Goff, Eagles
Recently, Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo confessed that he was “disappointed” that he wasn’t chosen to be the team’s head coach this offseason.
“I’m not going to lie to you,” Spagnuolo said. “I was disappointed I wasn’t the guy . . . but I’m not giving up on my dream of being a head coach…But I like [Ben McAdoo] a lot. It was two-fold. It didn’t happen, so it was a disappointment. But it’s always nice to be wanted.”
McAdoo was viewed as the favorite for the Giants’ job once the team parted ways with Tom Coughlin and it didn’t hurt that he came with the endorsement of quarterback Eli Manning. Spagnuolo, a high-respected defensive mind, is likely hoping for another head coaching opportunity down the line.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- Ohio State pass-rusher Joey Bosa landed in Dallas on Thursday morning for his visit the Cowboys, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Bosa is under consideration for Dallas with the No. 4 overall pick.
- Quarterback Jared Goff is also meeting with the Cowboys today, as Rapoport tweets. Goff may be a less likely candidate for the No. 4 overall pick as many expect Dallas to only entertain QBs in the later rounds. The Cal quarterback has a lot of hype behind him heading into the draft and, recently, one GM theorized that a team could trade up to No. 1 to draft him. As previously reported, Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch is also meeting with Dallas today.
- Temple wide receiver Robby Anderson and center Kyle Friend are working out Thursday at the Eagles‘ local pro day, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Late last week, Washington inked Vernon Davis to a one-year deal. Davis’ deal is officially a one-year, $1.66MM pact, but the 12th-year tight end can earn up to $4.5MM in 2016 through incentives.
Extra Points: Thomas, Mathieu, Browner, Draft
As the Broncos continue to reside up against the salary cap, ESPN.com’s Field Yates points out Demaryius Thomas‘ contract can help the Super Bowl champions clear $9.18MM worth of space.
A clause in the seventh-year wide receiver’s five-year, $70MM deal indicates the Broncos can convert any amount of Thomas’ $13MM 2016 salary into a signing bonus, which would then be spread out over the final four seasons of the pact, Yates reports. The Broncos reducing that salary to the veteran minimum of $760K would free up $9.18MM of cap space this year. The team currently resides in cap peril, with barely $1MM in space before signing Jared Crick on Wednesday, as it attempts to work out a Colin Kaepernick trade.
A Thomas restructure would make sense for the Broncos, who have many high-priced contracts on a cap sheet — although, Ryan Clady and Von Miller‘s respective $10.1 and $14.1MM numbers could well be reduced soon, or removed in Clady’s case — that doesn’t include a high-priced quarterback. Denver currently wants Kaepernick at $7MM for 2016 and ’17, but in 2017, the Broncos are as of now set to have $72.36MM of space — second-most in the league.
They’d have more room for a higher Thomas cap number with contracts like Clady’s and DeMarcus Ware‘s off their balance sheet after the 2016 league year. The Dolphins put a similar clause in Ndamukong Suh‘s deal last year.
Here’s the latest from around the league.
- Rehabbing from the torn ACL he sustained in Week 15, Tyrann Mathieu said he would prefer to stay with the Cardinals long-term but acknowledges the negotiation could be tricky, with the versatile defensive back wanting a top-end contract but at a time when he’s coming off a second knee surgery, Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com writes in an expansive piece. “They have concerns, which is understandable,” Mathieu told Prisco. “I’ve had two knee surgeries. At the same time, they know who I am as a teammate, as a football player, what I mean to the community and what I can do on the football field. The easiest thing is to pay me as a safety. But if [Patrick Peterson‘s] guy goes down, I have to check Pat’s guy. For me, it’s about me being compensated for everything I do.” In late February, we heard the contract-year safety and the Cardinals were discussing an extension, but nothing has emerged from those talks as of yet.
- Vernon Davis can earn up to $4.5MM in 2016 if he meets all the incentives of his Washington contract, Mike Jones of the Washington Post reports. Davis’ deal is officially a one-year, $1.66MM pact, but the 12th-year tight end meeting those as-of-now unspecified performance incentives could more than double that.
- Brandon Browner posted on his Instagram account (via Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com) that he played through a torn MCL last season with the Saints. The recently released cornerback said he tore the ligament in the Saints’ first preseason game. This would help explain a steep decline that resulted in Pro Football Focus bestowing by far its worst full-time cornerback grade on Browner in 2015.
- Paxton Lynch has a Cowboys visit lined up for Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, and will trek to San Diego for a Chargers meeting soon after. The 49ers also sent multiple representatives to observe the Memphis prospect at his pro day Wednesday, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
- The Bills received good value on a nontraditional quarterback accord last season and still employ Tyrod Taylor but are taking a wide-ranging glance of this year’s quarterback crop. Bills reps ate dinner with Lynch and plan to visit with Connor Cook, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The team also already met with Christian Hackenberg, per Albert Breer of NFL.com, and has done plenty of research on Jared Goff.
- Lynch had multiple work-related meals Wednesday, with the Saints meeting with the first-round prospect over lunch, Rapoport tweets. Indiana quarterback Nate Sudfeld will also visit the Saints soon.
- The Cowboys met with Carson Wentz on Wednesday, according to the team’s website. The North Dakota State prospect also worked extensively with Cowboys coaches at the Senior Bowl.
- Germain Ifedi has a busy schedule upcoming after performing for teams at Texas A&M’s pro day Wednesday. The Aggies’ latest tackle prospect has a slew of visits and workouts booked, WalterFootball.com’s Tony Pauline reports. Ifedi’s visit itinerary features summits with the Lions, Panthers, Bears and Texans after having already met with the Titans and Dolphins. The Cardinals, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Panthers, Texans and Falcons have scheduled workouts with Ifedi.
- Veteran quarterback Seth Lobato is working out for the Panthers, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
Zach Links contributed to this report
Draft Rumors: Bosa, Jones, Elliott, Jack
About seven Cowboys coaches were in Columbus, Ohio, recently to work out top Buckeyes prospects, including Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott and Cardale Jones, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets.
Owners of the fourth pick in the draft, the Cowboys’ selection window resides in the neighborhood where Bosa currently is expected to go off the board, with the team in need of running back help as well.
Here are some other draft items as we advance further into the month where prospects dominate the NFL news cycle.
- Also involved in Ohio State scouting, the Ravens put a full-court press on Buckeyes talents Wednesday, assessing their stock in multiple cities. They visited with Bosa in Baltimore and worked out Braxton Miller and Michael Thomas in Columbus, NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets. The Ravens, who pick at No. 6, also interviewed Myles Jack and Vernon Hargreaves n Baltimore.
- The Bengals recently worked out Jones, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. He’ll also visit with the Cardinals and Bills, per Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Texans are meeting with Illinois wide receiver Geronimo Allison in Florida today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Packers are bringing in BYU wide receiver Mitch Mathews, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (on Twitter). Mathews, he adds, is the type of receiver that the Packers like to target in the late rounds.
- The Buccaneers worked out Southern Utah cornerback LeShaun Sims on campus last month, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.
- Bucs offensive line coach George Warhop went to Nebraska to work out offensive tackle Alex Lewis last month, Auman tweets.
- The Saints worked out Western Kentucky tight end Tyler Higbee this week, according to Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate (on Twitter).
- Western Carolina wide receiver Karnorris Benson worked out for the Falcons on Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report
Jets Ask D’Brickashaw Ferguson To Take Pay Cut
7:53pm: No negotiations have transpired between the Jets and Ferguson, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini reports (on Twitter). The request came in a more informal manner, per Cimini, with a team official mentioning a possible contract adjustment to Ferguson in passing.
7:01pm: The Jets still have their eye on re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick and are now taking precise action in their attempt to keep arguably the top quarterback available.
The team has asked D’Brickashaw Ferguson to take a pay cut to help facilitate the Jets’ pursuit of Fitzpatrick, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports. Brian Costello of the New York Post also hears (Twitter link) a pay cut request has occurred.
Ferguson will be receptive to cutting his pay to stay in New York, sources told Mehta. The Jets also approached their 6-foot-5 tackle about this restructure in the middle of a workout. There are two seasons remaining on Ferguson’s eight-year, $73.6MM contract.
Gang Green’s desire to reduce its left tackle’s wages makes sense, with the team possessing the fewest salary cap space in the league at $713K, according to NFLPA records.
Although Ferguson hasn’t missed a game in his 10 seasons as Gang Green’s blind-side bastion, he’s 32 and has the highest 2016 left tackle cap number as of now at $14.07MM. Mehta reports the Jets approached the 11th-year tackle about the pay cut last week, and while Fitzpatrick resides as possibly the key reason for this request, it’s not the only one.
How much exactly Ferguson will be asked to trim from his 2016 salary is unclear, but Mehta estimates it will be at least $4-$5MM.
Fitzpatrick’s asking price has remained at $16MM annually, which has become the floor for entrenched starting quarterbacks. This new figure the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick has in mind would represent a staggering raise after he made just $3.25MM in his previous season with the Jets. We haven’t heard anything suggesting New York is willing to give Fitzpatrick this kind of money annually, with the Jets’ previous-best offer coming in at $7-$9MM AAV.
The No. 4 overall pick in 2006, Ferguson has started 167 regular-season and playoff games for the Jets and earned Pro Bowl nods from 2009-11. Both Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan gave procedural answers regarding Ferguson’s status on the 2016 Jets in recent weeks, providing some inevitability to these pay-reduction discussions. Pro Football Focus bestowed its No. 60 overall tackle ranking on Ferguson last season.
New York visited with Kelvin Beachum as a potential replacement for Ferguson, but after the Jaguars signed him, the Jets don’t have a viable alternative. Ryan Clady has ventured onto the trade block but has a cap number of $10.1MM and hasn’t proven to be nearly as durable as Ferguson, missing 30 regular-season games the past three years.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Bills’ A.J. Tarpley To Retire
A.J. Tarpley announced his retirement tonight via Instagram because of concussion concerns. The second-year Bills linebacker is the latest player to do so and joins a growing list of young players leaving football early.
A second-year cog expected to see time on the Bills’ second level again this season, Tarpley confirmed he suffered the third and fourth concussions of his career as a rookie in 2015. He joined the Bills as an undrafted free agent from Stanford.
Tarpley started in two games last season and played in 15. The 23-year-old linebacker played mostly on special teams but recorded a sack and made two interceptions, though, one of which he returned for 37 yards against the Cowboys.
He looked set to potentially compete for a starting position after Nigel Bradham, whom Tarpley started in place of last season due to injury, left to join the Eagles.
Tarpley joins Husain Abdullah among early retirees this spring who’ve cited concussions as their primary reason for leaving the game early, just as Chris Borland did last year.
Extra Points: Hardy, Robison, Knighton
Greg Hardy is frustrated that Aldon Smith received a sizable contract from the Raiders while he continues to sit on the shelf, sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
Hardy’s camp is still expecting to land an incentive-laden deal, but interest has not been strong up until this point. According to league sources who spoke with Cole, teams are more concerned about Hardy’s attitude in Dallas last season and stories of his partying than they are about his domestic-abuse allegations.
Here’s some more news from outside the draft realm.
- Family members are pestering Vikings defensive end Brian Robison to find out about his NFL future and while he’s not certain of what will come next, he does have an idea of what he’d like to do. Robinson says his “ultimate hope” is to play out the remaining two years on his deal, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press writes. The veteran is due to earn a base salary of $3.75MM in 2016 and $5.25MM in 2017. Robison racked up at least eight sacks per season from 2011-13. After that, he recorded 4.5 sacks in 2014 and 5.0 sacks last season. For his efforts in 2015, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus rated him as the 19th-best defensive end out of 48 qualified players.
- Terrance Knighton consulted Vince Wilfork before signing his one-year deal with the Patriots, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. A Windsor, Conn., native, Knighton grew up a Patriots fan and followed Wilfork’s career closely. Despite being released last year after 11 seasons in New England, Wilfork expressed consistent praise for the Patriots in a long conversation with Knighton, Reiss reports.
- The Pats have set Knighton up with a nutritionist and included weight clauses in the defensive tackle’s contract, Reiss reports. Washington listed Knighton at 354 pounds last season, and the eighth-year veteran wouldn’t disclose if that was accurate. Although Knighton told media (including Reiss) he weighs less than that now, he doesn’t have an issue with the Patriots‘ weight clauses. “It’s something I’ve paid a lot of attention to this offseason, and it won’t be a problem,” said Knighton, whose weight has likely played a part in failing to secure a long-term deal the past two offseasons. Last year, I was obviously heavier than I am right now. Contractually, I’ll have weights that I need to hit. Whatever the coaches want me to play at, that’s what I’ll be. [Weight concerns are] something that obviously has been an attack on me my whole career.”
- Andy Mulumba‘s one-year deal with the Chiefs is worth $620K, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The outside linebacker’s deal is only guaranteed for $10K, however. Mulumba also gets a $10K workout bonus to go along with his $600K base. The native of the Democratic Republic of Congo became a free agent when Green Bay declined to extend him the low-round tender.
- In a recent mailbag, a reader asked Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune whether the Bears would give up their first-round pick for Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson. The Jets are willing to entertain trade offers from Wilkerson, but they’re not desperate enough to move him cheaply. Chicago, meanwhile, likely needs to build through the draft for a few years to put their plan in motion, and a Wilkerson deal would probably weaken its stockpile.
- Before Ifo Ekpre-Olomu was claimed off waivers by Miami, the Saints, Bills, and Steelers all tried to claim him, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Sam Robinson contributed to this report